Above and Beyond
by anthfan
Summary: When Felicity has to go undercover as bait for a mission, Oliver isn't pleased. As things get out of hand, Felicity realizes she may be in over her head.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, this was suppose to be trope#5, but it started going so well, and I loved the direction it was heading I decided to make it it's own story. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading! **

Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses and skimmed the file in front of her once again. Even though she'd been through it half a dozen times, and came to the same conclusion each of those, she was still trying to find a different solution.

Because she knew Oliver wasn't going to like what she had come up with.

Ever since the Glades had been hit and they'd moved back into the lair Oliver had been overly over protective. To be fair, the area was a mess. Looters ran rampant, there had been breakouts from the prison, and the city wasn't doing much about it.

By the time Oliver had drug himself out of his self imposed hole of guilt there had been a lot of work to do. He and Digg patrolled nightly, coming back in the wee hours of the morning for her to patch up, and admonish.

Oliver barely let her walk ten feet to her car when she left for the night. One of the boys, or even the bouncers would escort her. She'd made fun of him for it once, early on, but the stark fear in his eyes and the echoes of him pleading with Tommy to live shocked her silent and she'd mutely nodded her acquiescence.

Even all these months later he'd kept her safe in the lair. She hadn't been on any mission other than via the comms since she'd gone into that casino.

Sighing heavily she pushed back from her computer and wondered how she was going to convince him her plan was the only way.

Oliver and Digg were back sooner than she expected which only made her tension level that much higher.

"Got anything on Mason yet?" Oliver asked as he came in, tossing his bow and quiver on the nearest flat surface and pushing the hood back off of his face.

She gave him a pointed look and a raised eyebrow. They'd had the 'put your things back where they belong' conversation several times now. He merely returned her look with one of his own and ignored her. Digg shook his head at both of them.

Felicity felt her lips draw into a tight smile as she turned in her chair to look at him, her hands wringing in front of her. "I do." she said slowly

Oliver paused and studied her, "Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like this?" he asked, his body immediately going on alert as he stood before her, feet spread and arms crossed.

"Because you're not. But it's the only way, and you need to hear me out entirely before you start flaring nostrils, and glowering, and doing that thing you do where you whisper shout." she blinked up at him as the growing annoyance crossed his face, "Ok?"

His gaze held hers, muscle in his jaw ticking as he gave a barely perceptible nod.

"Ok then," she began, knowing all too well that he was not going to be able to hold up his end of the bargain once he had all the information.

"We know that Mason is extraordinarily paranoid. To the point that he lives in a five million dollar mansion by himself. No staff, security only allowed outside the house, and no one gets in." Oliver hadn't even breathed as he waited for her to drop the bomb on him.

Felicity gave him a hopeful smile and took a deep breath, "Except he does allow _one_ person in. After going over the last year of this guy's life I've been able to detect a pattern. As careful as he is, he likes the ladies, and he seems to think we're all idiots because after he's been on a couple of dates with them he takes them back to his house for the night." she bit her lip as she waited.

Digg was the first who got it. He was propelled to his feet and came to flank Oliver who still stared at her stony faced.

With a sigh she turned back to the monitor and pulled up a screen she'd had prepared. Pictures of Mason with a number of different women on his arm. All of them blonde.

She could almost feel the change in the air when Oliver understood what she was proposing. She cringed in her seat as she awaited the inevitable blowup.

However, all she heard was a low, "No." and then he was gone.

Silence fell over the space until Digg cleared his throat, "I'll go talk to him."

She could hear muffled thumps and crashes from the training room, and wondered how much talking was going on, and how much of it was just Digg letting Oliver express himself through violence.

It was almost two hours later when they returned. Infinitely sweatier, and with a few more bruises than they had earlier.

Felicity almost made a quip until she saw the look on Oliver's face. She swallowed it down quickly.

"If," he started, "If I agree to this we're going to do this my way." she'd never heard him so serious before, not even when he was telling her to leave the Glades.

"What have you come up with?" he was at his most intimidating, and she tried not to let that show.

Figuring it was best to just stick to the facts she pulled up everything she had on Mason and spread it across all three of her screens. "Mason's track record suggests he likes young, pretty, blondes who are better at looking good in a dress then asking questions that make him uneasy. He usually meets them at invitation only events, like private parties, charity auctions, galas, and the like. My theory is he perceives the invitation as some sort of vetting process. If someone's on the list they're automatically more trustworthy. I don't know, doesn't make that much sense to me, but I'm not the..." she trailed off at the annoyed growl that came from over her shoulder.

"Right. Moving on. Mason has rsvp'd to a party this Friday. I'll work my magic to get in, and after that I'll just make sure I bump into Mason, sound appropriately vapid, and wait for him to ask me out. It'll take a few dates before I get access to the house, but once I do I can log on to his computer and get the rest of the information we need." Felicity hoped she'd sounded completely detached, like she was talking about going to the grocery store and picking up what she needed to make dinner.

Oliver was silent.

It was Digg that spoke up, "How are you going to stay safe?" he asked the one question she knew Oliver needed the answer to above all.

"Mason doesn't have a history of violence. He's paranoid, and slightly off his rocker, but I don't think he's dangerous." her thoughts went to the number of lives he'd ruined in his dirty business dealings and amended her statement, "Well, I don't think there's a threat of physical danger I should say." she risked a glance at Oliver but he wasn't looking at her, he was studying her intel.

"I'll only meet with him in public. He likes to take his ladies to smaller, lesser known spots around the city. I will, of course, be on the comms the entire time, have whatever weapon Digg deems appropriate in my bag, and when I get invited back to his house I will have enough knock out pills to take down an elephant." she said this all in a rush.

Oliver was quiet for a long while before turning to look at Digg. "It's a solid plan." the other man said

Oliver's eyes shut tight for a moment, "I'll agree to this, but with one change."

Felicity waited in anticipation for his caveat.

"I'm your tail the entire time." his look dared her to challenge him.

With a tight nod she agreed to his terms. "Of course. Good idea. I'd love to have you on my tail." her mouth clamped shut as she realized what she'd said. "I didn't mean my _actual_ tail because that would be...just...I should...stop. I should just stop talking now."

Oliver disappeared after that. Digg helped her hash out the details of her cover. Felicity hacked the computer of the society maven hosting the event and discovered who wasn't coming. It wasn't difficult to pick one of the older invitees and concoct a story about her being a grand niece who was in town visiting. She adjusted the guest list accordingly and when she came across a to-do list which had last minute reminders for the caterer on it Felicity added a note about extra crab puffs. She loved crab puffs.

They didn't discuss the plans the rest of the week. On Friday, after her regular workday she hurried home to change for the party. Since she'd done such heavy research into Mason she knew his type. Bright dresses, short skirts, and big hair. And the more cleavage the better.

The dress she'd chosen met all the criteria. She curled her hair a bit more, put on her highest heels, which she knew she'd regret almost immediately, and slipped her contacts in before giving herself an appraising look.

When she arrived at Verdant she walked in like she normally would, but Digg's long, low whistle when he caught sight of her made her blush. "Stop it." she commanded

"I don't think you need to worry. You look exactly like Mason's type." he said

"Aww, Digg, I think that's the nicest way anyone's ever told me I looked like a tramp before." she joked as she pulled the box out that held all the ear pieces.

Oliver entered from the training room, his hair fresh from a shower, and she almost missed the stutter in his step as he laid eyes on her. Her stomach did a little flip that he'd noticed.

"Let me see your bag." Digg said and she passed him the small clutch. He sighed when he saw the size, "You didn't have anything bigger?"

"Sorry, not that would go with this dress." he gave her a look of irritation and stalked off to the weapons closet.

Felicity busied herself with setting up the comms link. With her hair down, the small ear piece wouldn't be noticeable.

When Digg returned he showed her where he'd slipped a small dagger, a panic button she could press if things were going south and she couldn't speak, and the burner phone she'd be using as her cover. She patted his arm in thanks and suppressed a small shudder as she caught a glimpse of the knife.

Digg was behind her desk, pulling up the necessary program that would keep her linked with the lair the entire time she was gone. A few more tests and she was ready. As she crossed to the printer to grab her fake invitation Oliver stopped her.

"Here," he said and handed her a small blue box. She looked at him quizzically because the box looked suspiciously like a jewelry box and she had no idea why he'd be doing that.

"What is this?" she asked as she reached out to take it.

"Just open it." he said before turning to gather his Hood outfit and weapons in case he needed them.

She lifted the lid and gasped. Inside lay an ornate hair clip studded with diamonds, pearls, and one ruby in the center. "Oliver...I don't..." she knew it was real, and very expensive. There was also something timeless about it.

Oliver barely looked up at her words. "I installed a GPS tracker in it. If for some reason you get separated from me I'll be able to find you."

Her breath caught in her throat as his words held more weight then she thought either of them expected.

"It's beautiful, Oliver. Thank you, I'll take good care of it." she assured him.

Digg grabbed the invitation for her and handed it over, but not before leaning in to whisper, "We made a visit to the Queen vault at the bank two days ago for him to get that piece out. Just thought you should know."

Digg's revelation shocked her to her core. She almost didn't notice when Oliver stepped up to her and took the box from her hands. She stood completely still as he pulled back a sweep of hair from her face and affixed the clip. Their eyes met and for just a moment he allowed her to see how worried he was.

His hand had fallen to her shoulder and she reached up to grip his wrist. "Don't worry, I'll bring it back in one piece." she said, both of them knowing she wasn't talking about the clip.

"You'd better, it's important to me." he responded gruffly before turning away abruptly. "I'm leaving now." he said, picking up his bag, "I'll be outside the party all night if you need anything and I'll be on the comms as well."

Nothing else was said as he took the stairs two at a time and disappeared through the door.

"You sure about this?" Digg asked as he settled down in front of the monitors

"No," she answered honestly, "But there really isn't another way."

Digg gave her a hand look and then slid the keys to the Mercedes across the desk. "Be careful. We've got your back."

Felicity squared her shoulders and gave him a tentative smile. "I know."

The car was parked out back. She'd decided to drive herself in order to keep anyone from making any connections between her and Oliver. The drive over gave her just enough time to start to freak out about what she was doing. She'd taken the time to prep every aspect of this mission, except for the one where she'd have to seduce this man; or at least let him think he was seducing her. That part made her skin crawl and she hoped she'd be able to pull it off.

"Pulling up to the house now." Felicity said quietly

"You just passed me." Oliver confirmed and a bit of calm settled over her just knowing he was close.

She climbed out of the car on shaky legs and handed the keys over to the valet before climbing the steps and giving her invitation to the man at the door. "Megan Anderson," she said politely,

"Cocktails are in the front parlor, Miss." he said robotically

They had chosen a Colonel Robert Anderson as her absent 'uncle'. Oliver had said he was one of those people who had to be invited to these things but never showed up. No one would bat an eye at her being there in his place because no one really knew who he was.

Her first test was making it past the hostess. The woman had perfectly coiffed hair, a lovely cream colored dress, and the most fake smile Felicity had ever seen. "Hello, so lovely for you to join us this evening." she said formally as she held her hand out to shake.

Felicity took her hand, "So glad I could make it."

The hostess cocked her head to the side and studied her for a brief moment, "Have we met dear? You look familiar but..."

"Oh, I'm afraid not. I'm Megan Anderson from Metropolis. My great uncle is Colonel Robert Anderson, he sends his regards." Felicity said smoothly

"Colonel Anderson, of course. So sorry he could't make it. But we're very glad you could come in his place. Please enjoy your evening." and before Felicity could reply the woman had moved on to the next guest.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." she said under her breath as she made a bee-line for a glass of champagne.

"You're doing good, Felicity." Digg said soothingly

She had purposely chosen this party because the guest list was relatively small. She was relying on the likelihood that there wouldn't be too many other women here that matched her description. As she looked around it seemed like she was right. She could only see two other women anywhere close to her age and they were both brunettes.

"Any sign of Mason?" Oliver asked

"Not yet," she said softly, taking a glass of bubbly from the nearest waiter and downing half in one gulp.

It was thirty long minutes of random small talk, and wandering about before she saw Mason.

She spied him talking to other guests and she casually made her way to where the bartender was set up. She took another glass of champagne and when she raised it to take a sip she let Oliver and Digg know, "Mason has arrived."

"Be smart," Digg said

"Aren't I always?" she replied with more confidence than she actually felt, running a hand lightly over her hair and feeling the clip Oliver had given her, the security it represented giving her the courage she needed.

Felicity let her clutch rest on the bar top and stood directly in Mason's eye line as she looked around the room as if she didn't have a care in the world. Sure enough, in only a few minutes she felt a presence at her elbow.

"Two fingers of bourbon and whatever the lady's having." a voice said from behind her and she turned to see Mason.

"Oh, wow, thanks." she said, a little breathless, which wasn't an act, but worked for her cover. She finished the glass she had with a flourish and picked up the next one.

"Charles Mason," he said smoothly and held his hand out. She took it immediately, remembering to just lay her palm in his instead of giving him the normal handshake she'd typically use.

"Megan Anderson," she replied with a smile, "Thanks for being so nice. I don't know anyone here and it's been kind of lonely."

"Well, it seemed a shame, a lovely woman like you standing all alone. I couldn't allow that to continue." Mason managed to deliver the line without sounding smarmy or cliche which was a feat. Felicity heard Oliver let out a huff of annoyance in her ear.

"I'm glad you rescued me then." she flashed him a dazzling smile and lapsed into small talk.

She made up a story on the fly about her days on the Metropolis social scene, only reining back the increasingly convoluted tale when Digg loudly cleared his throat and told her she should probably let Mason do the talking. She flushed and giggled which Mason seemed to like. He ordered her another glass of champagne and she was shocked to discover she'd finished the second.

"Careful, Felicity, you don't want to get drunk." it was the first she'd heard from Oliver in a while.

"No, I couldn't, really, I think I've already had more than enough." she protested, and allowed her ankle to wobble slightly. She laid her hand on Mason's arm for balance and he took the open invitation.

"How about we go get some food in you and find a quieter place to talk." he slipped her hand into his elbow and began to lead her away.

"That sounds perfect!" she said with a touch too much enthusiasm, but he loved it as he drew her in closer.

He'd found them a secluded corner with a small two seater couch. She nursed her last glass of champagne and nibbled on her fourth crab cake as he talked to her. When his hand landed on her bare knee she had to keep herself from pushing it off.

Apparently once he decided he liked a girl he just went in for the kill. His fingers trailed over her shoulder, the hand on her knee drew little circles and played with the hem of her dress. She swallowed down a grimace and didn't break his hand like she wanted to.

Felicity gave him a coy smile and slid a little closer. When he asked what she was doing the following evening she had to suppress her urge to thrust her fist in the air in victory. She was in.

"I'm only here for a week, but I'd love to see more of the city." she told him

"Then you must let me take you out." he said excitedly.

She gave him the number to her burner cell and then claimed an early morning breakfast with her uncle. He promised to call the next day and insisted on walking her out.

"I had such a great time," she effused

"We'll have an even better time tomorrow." his look almost bordered on a leer, but he was too in control to allow that to slip. "Until tomorrow," he said, lifting one hand to stroke over her cheekbone.

She slid behind the wheel and drove off without looking back.

Just as she was about to announce she'd left she heard Oliver.

"I'm right behind you." he said darkly, and a shot went through her, wondering if he'd seen anything.

Her eyes lifted to the rearview mirror, to catch the single headlight of his motorcycle. "On my way back." she said unnecessarily, spending the rest of the drive in silence.

When they pulled into the parking lot behind the club she let her hands rest on the steering wheel and took a moment after she'd turned the car off. Oliver's sudden opening of her door made her jump.

"Phase one complete," she said nervously, not liking the tense look on his face.

He silently held his hand out and helped her from the car, not letting her go until they had gone several steps.

She had no idea why Oliver was behaving this way. Well, maybe she did. He'd taken Tommy's death hard, putting the people around him at risk was a very real fear for him.

"Good job, Smoak." Digg called out as she made her way down the stairs

"Thanks," she replied, her eyes quickly scanning some of the searches she'd left running. "Acting like an idiot is harder than it looks."

"Well you pulled it off well." Digg assured her, "Mason seemed taken with you."

Oliver's bag clanged onto the table with more force than necessary.

Felicity gave Digg a small laugh, "Yeah well, like I said, he has a type. It wasn't that hard. Although I could have done without his hands all over me, that was just icky." she'd said the words before she'd considered what the reaction would be.

Oliver went still and then stalked past her, the door to the training room banging shut behind him. Digg stood up and made his way to her. "Felicity...you don't have to do this. If it's too much..." his voice was hard though, as if he was also having trouble controlling what he really wanted to say.

"I'm okay, Digg, promise." she hoped she sounded genuine

"Then I'm out of here. See you tomorrow for Phase two. Goodnight." he said

Felicity could already hear the sharp tattoo as Oliver whipped the wooden sticks against the form. With a sigh she replaced the ear piece and put the dagger and panic button back where they belonged.

She was about to leave when she spied the blue box the hair clip had come in and remembered she was still wearing it. Slowly she pulled it out and turned it over in her hands. The diamonds and ruby caught every bit of light in the room and glittered brightly. When she turned it over she saw there was a tiny inscription in the back. Looking closely she saw it read: '_All my love, always-OQ'. _

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the words. She took a shaky breath and shook her head, at her own ridiculous thoughts. This clearly belonged to some long dead ancestor who just happened to share the same initials as Oliver.

She clutched the clip tightly in her palm as she approached the training room. When she slid the door open she saw Oliver, shirtless, his back to her, as he pummeled the practice dummy in front of him.

She knew he was aware she'd entered, so she leaned against the door jamb and waited for him to acknowledge her.

When he finally stopped he was dripping with sweat and breathing heavily. He put the sticks away, grabbed a towel, and a bottle of water, and then turned towards her.

"I don't like it." he said suddenly, taking her by surprise.

Her mouth instantly dry, she had to lick her lips before she could reply, "Why not?"

Tension crackled in the air as he slowly approached.

"You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. That's what Digg and I are for." he went for the easy answer, as she knew he would.

"Well, if either of you were his type I would have gladly stepped back. But in this case I was the person for the job. We're a team, this is what we do." he stopped two feet from her and she could feel the heat coming off his body.

His eyes locked with hers, "I still don't like it." She knew there was so much more he wasn't saying.

"I just came to give you this back." she said and held out the clip

"Keep it. I want you to use it again." he said quickly

"It obviously costs a fortune, and it belonged to one of your ancestors. I'd hate to lose it." she protested, trying again to give it back.

His hand clamped over hers and held it still. "It's just some junk costume jewelry I put the transmitter in, that's all."

She scoffed at him. "Oliver, this piece is easily worth several thousands of dollars. I don't own much good jewelry, but I know it when I see it. This is not junk. Besides, there's an inscription on it from another OQ."

She tugged slightly and felt him loosen his grip. When she unfurled her fingers he plucked the clip from her palm and held it up to the light.

"All my love, always. OQ." he read aloud to himself, but it made her heart stutter to hear him say the words.

"Must have been my great-grandfather. Another Oliver, it's where I got my name from." he explained, not looking ashamed at all for trying to tell her it was costume jewelry.

"Which is yet another reason why you should hold on to it. I shouldn't be responsible for something your namesake gave your great-grandmother."

He took her hand again, and she couldn't ignore the tingle that went down her spine at the contact. He laid the piece back in her hand and slowly closed her fingers back around it. "I want you to keep it." he said it with such weight she could do nothing but nod in agreement.

She didn't trust her voice, so she just backed away slowly and left. Before she made it to the stairs she could already hear the distinctive ring of the metal bar on the salmon ladder and knew he wouldn't be leaving for awhile.

Half an hour later she stood in front of her dresser and considered the clip she still held. With a trembling hand she opened the small case that held her most treasured possessions.

Inside lay her grandmother's pearls, and the diamond earrings she'd received on her eighteenth birthday. They were the only two pieces of jewelry she owned that were actually worth something. She placed the hair clip next to them, lightly running her finger over the ruby, its shine quieted by the lack of light.

As she climbed into bed that night she refused to think about the case and how her past and Oliver's were sharing a space, and the feelings that gave her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Loving this story! You guys are the best. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Let me know what you think. **

Felicity took advantage of the fact that it was Saturday and stayed in bed as long as possible. She hadn't slept well. Every time she woke up she couldn't help but think about Oliver, and that damn hair clip, and how he'd been acting since this new mission had started.

A strange ringing sound finally moved her from her bed and she realized with a jolt it was the burner phone. Mason was calling her.

"Hello," she said

"Megan? It's Charles Mason, how are you?" he said smoothly

"Fabulous. Just finishing up breakfast with Uncle Bob." she improvised on the fly, having no idea if the Colonel went by Bob or not.

"Great. Tell him hello for me." he said conversationally, "So, I was hoping I could see you again. I had a nice time last night and I'd like to show you the best of Starling City while you're in town."

"That sounds perfect." she said lightly

"Fantastic, I'll pick you up at seven. Is your uncle still in Granite Hills?" he said, and she froze. In all her research it had never occurred to her to get the Colonel's actual address.

Thinking fast she gave a small laugh, "Oh Charles, I'm planning on spending all my day shopping. I have no idea if I'll end up back at Uncle Bob's or not. How about you just let me know where to meet you." and she held her breath while she waited for his answer.

"It's no problem at all, Megan. I like picking up a beautiful woman when I take her out for the night." he said it easily, but she couldn't tell if there was a hint of ice in his voice or not.

"And you should know better than to interrupt a shopping trip." she giggled, hating herself for it, "I promise you can pick me up next time." she said coyly

"Next time?" he asked, "I like the sound of that. Alright then, I will send you the address. Until tonight." she heard the dial tone long before she thumbed the phone off.

With a heavy sigh she sat on the bed and ran a hand through her hair. So much for her easy Saturday. Now her head was filled with her 'date' tonight with Mason, and how she'd basically told him he could pick her up at a strangers house on their next outing.

She chewed on her lower lip as she considered whether she needed to go into the lair now, or wait until later. Her interaction with Oliver yesterday had thrown her and he wasn't going to be happy she hadn't thought about the issue of the Colonel's house.

She drug her feet as she walked into her closet and flipped through her meager collection of dresses. Maybe she did need to go on a shopping spree. There was the gold one she'd worn during the dodger case, but as her fingers slipped over the fabric a shudder went through her as she remembered the feel of the bomb collar around her neck. She really should just donate that somewhere. She would never wear it again.

Buried in the back was a short, tight, electric blue number she'd almost forgotten about. She'd found it on the clearance rack and bought it on a whim without even trying it on. When she had she'd had a good laugh and put it back with every intention of returning it but she'd forgotten.

She chose black stilettos to go with it, and placed all her hair and makeup supplies in a bag before making her way to the jewelry case.

The hair clip still sat where she'd left it. The morning sun caught the jewels and made them dance. She picked it up and turned it over, reading the inscription once more.

Felicity wrapped it in a tissue before placing it in her purse.

Oliver was exactly where she'd left him when she made it to Verdant and she wondered briefly if he'd even left. The look on Digg's face let her know she was probably right.

She wandered around the outside of the training room to make her way over to the long table they used for storage. Felicity hopped up on it lightly and sat swinging her feet while Oliver pointedly ignored her.

After five minutes she was getting irritated.

"I'm meeting Mason for dinner at seven." she yelled out over the sound of his clanking

The sound of wood splintering made her jump, and even Digg looked at him oddly, as Oliver bent down to pick up the remnants of his stick.

"Guess everything worked out well then." he said dangerously, walking past her to grab his towel.

She bristled at his tone.

"Yeah, I guess it did, since _you're_ the one who decided Mason needed to be brought down." she thought he could do with a reminder. "I'd be more than happy to spend the night in my pajamas, eating fro-yo, and watching shows on my DVR that's 97% full thanks to you! But no, I'm going to pour myself into a dress that makes me look like a hooker, tear my feet up in heels I can't stand, and get pawed at by a rich piece of dirt because that's what needs to be done! And you need to understand that sometimes you are NOT the one for the job, Oliver Queen!"

Felicity didn't even bother to wait for a response. She shoved herself off the table and stalked from the room.

Digg gave her an hour on the computers before he asked about the details of her talk with Mason. She filled him in, including the issue with the address.

He sighed heavily, "Yeah, I didn't think of that one either. Don't worry, we'll figure it out."

Digg looked around slowly and then leaned in, "Look, Felicity..."

She held up one hand and then swiveled to face him, "Don't apologize for Oliver, he's the one with communication problems right now, not you."

"Alright," he said in defeat, "I'll go see if I can beat some sense into him."

She snorted, "Good luck with that."

The rest of her day was mostly peaceful. Oliver avoided her like the plague for which she was grateful and she got some much needed work done. Five o'clock came before she knew it and she cursed under her breath as she grabbed her bag and headed for the training room.

"Sorry to interrupt, boys, but I need to get ready. You won't even know I'm here." she assured them as she breezed by, not even giving Oliver a chance to say something if he wanted to.

The full bathroom they'd added to the lair was one of her best ideas of the renovation, she thought. The 3-D printer was pretty cool too though.

As she washed she thought about how she was going to have to let Mason get a lot closer to her that night if she ever had a chance of getting asked back to his house. The whole idea made her feel slightly sick, and knowing Oliver and Digg would be listening to the entire thing made it that much worse.

She wished she knew exactly what Oliver's issues were. If she didn't know any better she'd think he was jealous, but she knew that couldn't be the case. The feelings she'd harbored for him from the beginning had only continued to grow. After the attack on the Glades she'd tucked away everything she could and was just there for him as he grieved for Tommy. But now...now things were slowly getting back to normal and everything she'd pushed aside was starting to come rushing back without her say so.

But Oliver had never even hinted he felt anything like that for her so she stayed silent. It was worth it to work with him, and to be his friend, and to help save the city. At least that's what she told herself when it all got to be too much.

For the next hour she blew dry her hair, did her make up, and pinned her curls into a wild sort of up-do she thought Mason might appreciate. Carefully she pulled the jeweled clip from her bag and unwrapped it.

The ruby didn't exactly match what she was wearing, but with some clever twists and purposefully arranged curls she was able to pin it in a place that concealed most of it, but still let it shine. Most importantly, she was wearing it and they'd be able to track her if they needed to.

The last thing she did was slip into the blue dress. It was tighter than the one she'd worn the night before, with a non-existent back and plunging neckline that left little to the imagination. The hem was also about three inches shorter, and she couldn't help but practice sitting down to see how short it would go. Getting in and out of the car would be interesting.

She checked the burner phone and saw that Mason had texted her the location. It was only twenty minutes away which gave her time to get her ear piece and face Oliver before she left.

When she opened the door to the training room it was empty. Oliver and Digg were waiting for her by the computers when she stepped out

"Not one word." she warned, pointing between both of them.

A muscle in Oliver's jaw ticked but he didn't say anything.

"You're all set," Digg said, handing her the ear piece and placing the panic button and a slightly larger dagger in her bag.

"Thanks, Digg." she said genuinely, "Mason texted me the location. Pierre's? On Canal I think." she directed at Oliver.

"Nice place, the lobster ravioli is particularly good." he replied, as if he hadn't had his head up his ass the better part of the past week.

Felicity nodded, grateful he was at least trying to be civil.

"It's secluded though. Not very many tables. He must have greased a few palms to get a reservation on such short notice." Oliver added. He was trying to tell her to be careful because Mason played dirty, and this place sold privacy, and she'd be more on her own than she had the night before. But he had to tell her without saying that because if he did they'd probably just end up yelling at each other.

"Got it." she said trying to swallow past the lump in her throat.

"You'd better get going if you're going to make it on time." Digg advised

She took the keys from him again, "Ok, well, wish us luck." forcing a smile and heading to the stairs.

Oliver was right behind her, his bag in hand. She wondered where he planned on watching from if the restaurant was as small as he said.

"Felicity, wait." he called suddenly, his hand landing on her bare arm, making her shiver.

She froze in place, and then she felt him, one hand laying on her neck while the other carefully moved curls out of the way until he found what he was looking for.

"Good," he breathed out, sounding almost relieved he'd found the clip

"I told you I'd take good care of it." she reiterated, her eyes trapped by his for a moment before he looked away.

She gripped the railing tighter and finished her ascent. Oliver was quiet until he helped her into the car. That task was just as difficult as she suspected it would be, as she practically had to contort herself to sit down without flashing him.

Just before he shut the door he leaned in, "Be careful."

She could only nod as she watched him head for his motorcycle.

Once again she let the valet park her car. As she handed the keys over she thought she could get used to this. A tuxedo'd host showed her to the table where Mason sat waiting for her.

Oliver had been right, the place was tiny. There were no more than six table total, and strategic placement made each of them seem like they were the only ones in the space. The table they were at was in a corner, far from the entrance which made it even more private.

She swallowed nervously and gave Mason a broad smile. "Hello, again." she greeted

"Megan! You look ravishing." he said, rising from his seat to put his hand on her elbow and lean in to brush a kiss over her cheek.

A discreet cough in her ear reminded her that she wasn't alone and she was grateful for the low lighting, hoping it hid her flushed face.

"How was your shopping?" he asked, and she took the opportunity to ramble on about the different stores, and amazing finds she'd made. That took them through ordering drinks and appetizers.

"You're going to bore him to death if you go on about shoes any longer." Digg warned, and she almost choked on her drink.

She took his advice though and turned the conversation to other things, although nothing too personal since she knew Mason was wary of anyone who tried to get information out of him.

Dinner was delicious. As they ate Mason got bolder. He slid his chair closer to hers and leaned in so their arms were almost touching.

When she put her fork down declaring herself finished, he insisted they get dessert and more wine.

His hand found her knee, and then her thigh. "I hope you don't mind, but you're so beautiful I can't keep my hands off of you." he whispered into her ear.

She shivered, but more from revulsion, although he didn't know that.

There was a grunt of something over the ear piece, "I didn't even use that line when I was a teenager." she heard Oliver grumble

Felicity reached out to play with Mason's tie, not surprised when he took that as her allowing him permission to put his hands all over her.

A hand stroked over her bare back, the other making it's way higher on her thigh. "Your skin is so smooth," he said quietly, "It feels just like satin."

There were two grumbles this time, even Digg had something to say about that. Whatever Oliver said was so low it was unintelligible.

"Mmmm, you know just what to say to a girl, don't you Charlie." she peeked at him through her lashes, as his lips brushed over her shoulder.

She tried not to squirm in her seat. She wanted nothing more then to bash him over the head with a breadstick and run to the street where she knew Oliver was waiting.

But she couldn't.

She gave Mason her sexiest look and scooted in closer. "That felt amazing, do it again." she said, tilting her head to the side.

The eruption of noise over the comm almost made her wince, but she hid it by smiling coyly.

Mason grinned predatorily, his lips returning to her shoulder before slowly making their way up her neck.

Her heart was beating out of her chest. Had she gone too far? Was this going to lead to something she couldn't handle? She'd glossed over this part on purpose during her preparation, but now she was seriously wishing she had thought this all the way through. Maybe this was why Oliver had been acting the way he had, because he _had_ thought this far.

She forced herself to make encouraging moans as Mason began to suck on her earlobe.

When his hand slipped under her skirt she couldn't help the small screech of surprise as she jumped.

"Sorry," she said breathless, "I wasn't expecting that."

"I couldn't help myself. I needed to know if you were wearing anything under that dress."

To say Oliver exploded would be an understatement. She could only make out every few words, but she knew there were many declarations of violence and exactly what he would do to Mason.

The more Oliver ranted the more she couldn't focus on Mason.

She placed her napkin on the table and made a show of leaning down to grab her purse. "Would you mind if I stepped away to the ladies room before we have dessert?" she asked as she stood

"Of course not. Hurry back." he said, and boldly leaned forward to give her a kiss.

Felicity held it together until she entered the bathroom. Thankfully it was a single stall and she didn't have to worry about anyone coming in as she locked the door behind her.

She paced in the small space before she hissed at him, "Oliver, how could you! Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend and let me do my job!" she could hear his growl of irritation but she continued before he could speak. "Both of you need to stop with the noises, and the comments, it's distracting! This is hard enough as it is. I swear to god, if you keep it up I will take out my ear piece, do you understand me!"

There was a long silence, "I wouldn't advise that if I were you" Oliver practically growled, and she saw red.

"Well done, mister, you just blew it!" with a vicious yank that only served to hurt her ear she pulled out the ear piece and thumbed off the tiny switch that activated it. She put the small device in her purse and leaned heavily on the sink studying herself in the mirror.

Her skin was flushed, her eyes wide, and her chest heaved slightly. Why couldn't they understand they weren't helping. Did she gasp, and groan, and make concerned noises while Oliver was in the middle of a fight? No. She muted the comms like the good partner she was and made sure they couldn't hear her.

She let out a long breath and tried to calm down. Oliver was going to be furious she took out the ear piece. With a shake of her head she smoothed her dress and touched up her hair. She couldn't think about Oliver right then. She needed to get that third date with Mason.

But the thought of going back out there and letting him touch her was almost too much. He was starting to scare her. Every time he touched her she wanted to push him away. Her hands were starting to shake.

It was almost over she told herself. She just needed to make it through dessert and get him to ask her out again. Then she could go back to the lair and take the longest, hottest shower of her life.

With one last look in the mirror and a touch to the hair clip she headed back out.

"I thought you'd run away." he said by way of greeting when she returned.

"Run away? Never. I'm having the best time with you, why would I do that." she made sure to slide her chair so it was touching his.

His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her into his side, "That is exactly what I wanted to hear."

Dessert was delivered which gave her a short reprieve, but soon enough they were headed to the door, his hand solidly on her bare back.

When they hit the cool night air she tried not to look around for Oliver even though she wanted to, badly.

Mason held a hand up to the valet, who knew exactly what he wanted, and disappeared back into the restaurant.

"That's better," Mason crooned, wrapping his arms around her to the point she felt trapped.

"I had a lovely time tonight." she said, "I hope it's not the last time we see each other." she didn't want to sound like she was fishing for another date, but she needed it to happen.

"I hope not either." he skimmed a kiss over her lips, and it took everything in her to smile at him. "I've been invited to a charity gala on Tuesday. I'd love it if you could come with me."

"A gala?" she asked excitedly, "I'd love to!"

"Perfect." he said right before he captured her mouth with his. The kiss may have started off tame, but soon his tongue was thrusting into her mouth, turning her stomach. When he pulled back to breathe she brought a hand up and traced his lips, trying to prevent him from kissing her again.

"Thank you for dinner." she said, and stepped back half a step, hoping he'd take the hint.

Mason raised an arm and summoned the valet. Her heart was still pounding in her chest as he helped her into her car.

"Good night." he said, and bent down to kiss her again.

She smiled lightly at him as he shut her door, tramping down the urge to push the accelerator as far as it would go.

She pulled out into traffic slowly, but as soon as she was around the corner and she could no longer see him in the mirror she let out a half jagged sob.

Her eyes blurred with tears as she scrubbed the back of one hand over her mouth, smearing her lipstick in an attempt to rid herself of his touch.

This was too much. She didn't think it would be so hard. Why hadn't she thought about this? Why had she been so damn determined to prove herself to Oliver?

She didn't even notice he was following her until she was halfway back to the club.

Felicity screeched into a parking spot and ran for the door, punching in the security code as fast as she could before clattering down the stairs, her heels clutched in one hand.

Digg was waiting at the bottom. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I don't care!" she yelled at him, shoving her purse and shoes into his hands for good measure and all but sprinted for the shower.

The water was on before she got the door shut and locked behind her, and the dress was in a heap on the floor thirty seconds later.

Only some tiny, rational part of her brain remembered at the last possible moment to take the clip out of her hair. She laid it on the edge of the sink with trembling hands, and then climbed in, letting the scalding water do it's work.

Every time she shut her eyes she could still feel his hands on her skin, his mouth on her lips, his tongue...She half gagged and leaned heavily against the wall for support as tears came from nowhere.

Felicity allowed herself a good, long cry. Feeling weak, and tired she climbed slowly out of the shower, taking her time since she knew when she opened the door she'd have to face him.

Other than the dress on the floor, the only other article of clothing in the place was a pair of running shorts she'd used during training with Digg the week before and a discarded t-shirt of Oliver's.

Not having the energy to care, she skimmed into the shorts and pulled the shirt over her head, leaving her hair down to leave a damp spot across the back. She balled the dress up and threw it forcefully into the trashcan. She never wanted to see it again.

The hair clip taunted her as she stood at the sink. With a sigh she grabbed it up and headed out the door.

Her eyes had been downcast, so it took her several steps into the room before she realized Oliver and Digg were both waiting for her.

"Are we doing this here?" she said tiredly, eyeing the sparring mat, "Appropriate I guess."

They were keeping her on their turf, not letting her retreat to the safety of her computers. Fine. If that's how they wanted to play it.

Digg started first, "Felicity...We're...I'm sorry if I distracted you tonight. You were absolutely in the right to be upset with us. We were not helping you in the mission, which is the only thing we should have been focused on." he looked pointedly at Oliver, who remained silent.

"You shouldn't have taken out your comm." Oliver said suddenly, his eyes cutting over her. "That is the only way we had to know what was going on and if you were safe." one look at him let her know just how close to the edge he was.

"I'm sorry." she said weakly, and she was. She knew it was a bad move, but they had made her so angry she had just reacted.

"It won't happen again, alright?" she went to move around them but Oliver blocked her,

"Did something happen?" his tone was so commanding she knew she had no other choice but to answer.

"No," she said softly, but she couldn't look at him

His shoes entered her field of vision and then his hand was on her chin, tilting it up until she had no other choice. "Felicity, I need to know if something happened."

"Nothing happened." she snapped, "He kissed me, ok. It was...unpleasant. I didn't like it. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Was that it?" he sounded a bit surprised, and she didn't know if it was because he thought Mason would try more, or that he was surprised at her reaction to having kissed him.

She took it to be the latter.

"Is that not enough?" she asked incredulously , "He was touching me. His lips were on me. His hands were...places I didn't want them." she unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself and stepped back from him. "I had another man's hands on me, Oliver, how is that not enough?"

She was trembling, shaking from head to toe, and she had to get it together before he pulled the plug on this whole thing and everything she'd been through went to waste.

Oliver's eyes darkened at her words, and she saw his fists clench, but when he spoke he sounded calm and in control.

"I'm sorry." he said softly, "If this is too much for you..."

"It's not. I can do it." she insisted, her voice losing some of it's fear, "I just need you to get over whatever it is that's been wrong with you, because I can't deal with that too."

He nodded once, "I didn't want you to do this because I knew what was going to happen. I know the kind of guy Mason is. I know how he runs through women, and what he thinks of them. So if I've been upset lately it's because I knew, at some point you were going to be standing in front of me, barely able to keep yourself together because of what he'd done to you. And I didn't want that to happen."

She was too shocked to breathe, let alone speak. When she tried, it came out as a choked cry.

Oliver took two strides forward and pulled her to his chest.

When his arms encircled her she leaned in, resting her head above his heart. One of his hands stroked over her wet hair, the other just held her close.

She let her breathing quiet, and the steady rhythm of his pulse center her.

"I'm sorry," he said again, "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"I know," she mumbled into his chest, "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be." she admitted.

"You can quit. We can find another way in." he vowed, but they both knew it wasn't possible.

"I'll be ok. If you can promise to keep quiet. Just mute the comms like I do."

He pulled back slightly so he could look at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're not the only one that worries." she said, and didn't resist when he held her tighter.

Felicity enjoyed his embrace as long as she dared. Feeling much more calm she stepped back some and gave him a real smile.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I got the third date. A charity gala on Tuesday." she said suddenly, remembering what they had set out to do.

"Tuesday?" he repeated then smiled down at her, "Thea and I will be there as well."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: THANK YOU! I appreciate the support for this story. Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

Felicity took Sunday off. She sent a text to Oliver and Digg letting them know she'd see them Monday after work unless there was a Hood emergency and then she spent the better part of the day vegging on her couch.

Try as she might, she couldn't stop her thoughts from straying to Oliver. She knew he was concerned for her. She knew he cared for her, in some capacity. But his actions had gone a bit beyond the worried big brother routine. That's how Digg was acting, and that she understood. Oliver however...was still an enigma.

The time away from the lair had done her some good, she thought. She hadn't looked at that hair clip in at least six hours, which was definitely a record.

She claimed she had a doctor's appointment Monday afternoon and left work at lunch. In reality she had absolutely nothing to wear to the gala the following night. The only dress she had was the red one she'd worn to the underground casino. And as much as she loved it, and as well as the clip would have gone with it, Oliver had bought that dress for her to wear and there was no way she could bring herself to wear it on a date with Mason.

Luckily it didn't take her long to find something. She spotted it in the window of a small boutique and knew before she tried it on it would be perfect. Because this was a gala she figured she could get away with something a bit less trashy and Mason would understand. And this dress...she would have bought it regardless.

The first thing she thought when she saw it was that Oliver would love it. Her face flushed with the image, and she shook her head as she pushed into the store. She had no right to think like that.

When she arrived at the lair that night everything seemed back to normal. Digg had been working on a way to actually get her into Colonel Anderson's house so that Mason could pick her up without suspicion.

"Luck is on our side." he announced, "The Colonel is at his country home for the month. The house is empty, and other than the security system there is nothing else keeping you out."

"What type of system?" she asked as she settled into her chair.

Digg showed her the schematic and she laughed. "Uh, yeah, no problem. I bet every house in his neighborhood has one just like it. Standard, and easily enough to disarm from the outside. Which I assume is where you come in?"

Digg gave her a smile, "Of course. We'll cut the lines and get you inside thirty minutes before Mason arrives. Hopefully there aren't any nosy neighbors. But even if there are you'll be gone long before anyone shows up."

A thought struck her and she turned to him nervously, "But what if that does happen and Mason finds out?"

"Tomorrow is the last time you're going to see him, so it won't matter." Oliver interjected from behind them.

It was the first she'd seen him since they'd parted Saturday night. "What if I don't get invited to his house?" she asked, wide eyed, and more than a little worried that she'd fail.

His eyes narrowed, "You're going to get invited."

Silence fell around the three of them, until Digg cleared his throat and declared it was time for him to go pick up Carly for a date.

"I'll be inside with you the entire time. Thea's going too, but she hates these functions and will try and beg off early. And Digg's going to be there as well." she glanced up at him quickly

"I don't want him here if I need him." the intensity in his gaze muted her, all she could do was nod her agreement.

"What if your sister recognizes me?" she asked suddenly

"Thea's only met you once." he assured her

"But what if she does? Or what if there are higher ups from Queen Consolidated? Or someone who knows me as Felicity instead of Megan the bimbo?" she was getting more and more agitated as she considered all the things that could go wrong.

"Felicity," Oliver said seriously, kneeling down in front of her chair so he was on eye level with her, "It's going to be fine. You're not going to be alone."

She gave him a tight smile and turned back to her monitors. Then a chilling though came over her and she couldn't help but shudder. She might not be alone at the gala, but she would definitely be alone inside his house.

When she left a few hours later, Oliver was actually leaving as well.

"Don't worry, Felicity, you're going to do fine." she didn't know if that was more for her benefit or his.

"Yeah...just...you'll be there in case any arrowing needs to be done...right?" she looked at him hesitantly over the top of her glasses.

Suddenly all she could see was the dark grey of Oliver's t-shirt, and his worn leather jacket. "I'll be there." he vowed, with such surety she could do nothing but believe him. She let out a shaky breath, and before she could second guess what she was doing she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He held her tight, not saying a word.

When she stepped back his look was inscrutable. "Felicity..." he began, but she stopped him with a finger on his lips. Her action shocked both of them. Her eyes going wide not only at what she had done, but at the bolt of electricity that went through her at he contact.

"I'll be ok." she assured him, "Promise."

He let her go without a word. That night she lay awake long after she needed to be asleep, wondering exactly what she was going to be expected to face the next night.

Her Tuesday started off bad when she slept through her alarm and quickly moved into worse when she was slammed at work with new projects and ended up leaving late.

She'd brought everything she'd needed home the night before, knowing she might not have time to run by the lair before she needed to break into the home of a retired Colonel.

All she could manage with her hair was a respectable twist, something that Felicity herself would wear, not Megan. She pinned the hair clip securely, liking how prominent it was. She may be on Mason's arm that night, but she wanted Oliver's gift to be noticed.

When she stepped into the dress and zipped it up she was reminded again why she had bought it. It was dark green, almost the exact color of the Hood's outfit, she thought with a blush. One shoulder lay bare, and the artful drapes of the fabric made her waist look tiny. The best feature however, was the high slit on one side that went almost all the way to her hip.

She felt beautiful, and glamorous, and she really hoped she could keep this dress when the night was over.

The knock at her door let her know Digg had arrived. Oliver couldn't come because he had to escort Thea, but Digg was going to help her break into the Anderson house and then follow them to the gala.

Felicity grabbed her purse and went to open the door.

"Wow!" Digg exclaimed,

"Thanks," she replied with a smile, "This works for a gala right? I didn't think I could go too slutty."

"It works great." as she passed him he gave her a slight smirk, "Nice color."

Her cheeks burned all the way to the car.

As it would turn out, breaking into the house would be the easiest thing they did that night.

Digg slipped out the back to wait for Mason's car and she had twenty minutes to wander around the Colonel's house, taking in his strange art collection, and interesting food choices.

When the doorbell sounded her heart skipped a beat. Forcing herself to walk calmly she crossed the marble foyer and opened the door to find a man she didn't know.

Panic shot through her until she saw the large black sedan parked out front, and realized it was Mason's driver. Of course the slimy bastard would send his driver to pick her up at the door.

"Ms. Anderson, Mr. Mason's car is here." the driver said smoothly

"Of course, just let me grab my bag." she answered with a smile and turned back to the hall table where she had left her purse.

Mason was just hanging up from a call when she slid across the leather seat.

"Megan! You look ravishing!" he leaned forward and she proffered her cheek so he wouldn't muss her make up.

"You look pretty handsome yourself." she said, smoothing her hand down the front of his tuxedo.

"I'll be the envy of every man there tonight." his hand landed on her thigh, finding the slit in her dress quicker then she would have guessed.

"I'm right behind you, Felicity." Digg said softly in her ear, and she relaxed into the back of the seat.

She made small talk as they drove, only having to deal with Mason's wandering hands.

When they arrived Mason got pulled into conversations by several different people. Sometimes he introduced her, but more often then not he didn't. She stood by his side, and smiled prettily while sipping a glass of champagne because that is exactly what he expected her to do.

She spotted Thea before she saw Oliver. The youngest Queen was looking bored by the bar. Felicity's plan had been to not talk to Oliver directly at all. She honestly didn't know if she could pretend that she didn't know him.

Mason kept her close to his side most of the night. There was one awkward moment when Mason almost ran into the back of Oliver and they could't avoid speaking.

"Ah, Oliver Queen, glad to see you here." Mason said easily, holding his hand out to shake. "I'm Charles Mason, I had some business dealings with your father back in the day, but I don't think we've had the chance to talk since you've been back."

Only Felicity would have noticed the slight tick around Oliver's eye at the mention of his father. Oliver's gaze slid over her quickly, asking if she was alright. She answered that she was fine. For now.

"I'm sorry Charles, we'll have to change that soon." Oliver said in his fake party voice as she'd come to call it. Thea wandered up right then, her eyes cutting an appraising look over Felicity's dress, shoes, purse, and jewelry in an instant.

She nodded politely to Mason who greeted her enthusiastically, "Ms. Queen. All grown up now I see. I was just telling your brother it's been too long since I got to spend any time with the Queens."

Oliver's hand clenched around the champagne glass he held and she was worried it was going to crack.

Luckily Digg took that moment to walk up to Oliver and whisper in his ear. "If you'll excuse me." he said, betraying nothing and took Thea gently by the elbow to steer her away.

Mason gave a quiet scoff as soon as they were out of earshot. "Pompous rich kid. He's not half the businessman his father was." Oliver's slight head tilt as he left her eye line let her know he'd heard.

There was more mingling until a man she'd never seen before approached Mason. He actually looked nervous for a second before schooling his face. "Megan, why don't you go get yourself something to eat while I talk to this nice man here."

She was being dismissed like a child, or a dog, and it took everything within her not to make a comment. "Of course, Charlie. Can I bring you anything back?" she said a little too brightly.

"No sweetheart, I'll come find you when I'm done."

"Well, hurry up, I don't want to be away from you for too long." she let her hand trail down his arm as she turned away.

When she knew she was far enough away that he wouldn't hear she couldn't help but let out a mumbled, "What a dick!" under her breath. Digg chuckled lightly.

The buffet table was overflowing with food. She loaded a plate and was about to find a place to sit when a voice at her elbow stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Funny, I didn't see you at the last Queen family reunion." Thea's tone was ice, and Felicity turned slowly to see Oliver's sister right next to her.

"I'm sorry?" Felicity managed to stutter out,

"Well, seeing as that's a Queen family heirloom you're so proudly displaying in your hair I just assumed we must be related." her eyes bore daggers into Felicity, as she heard "Oh shit" in stereo from both Digg and Oliver.

Felicity's stomach dropped. Oh all the things that could have gone wrong, none of them had factored in Thea Queen.

"Oh this?" she said nervously and ran a finger over the clip. "It was my mother's. It's been in our family for ages. Maybe it just looks like the piece you're talking about." her eyes shot around the room looking for Oliver. She spied him on the other side, his back rigid, trapped talking to an older woman.

Thea took a step closer and arched one perfectly groomed eyebrow. "I spent the better part of my summer playing in the Queen vault when I was ten. I know _exactly_ what that clip looks like, especially since it's on your head right now."

A few heads turned near them, and Felicity could foresee this entire mission going down over one small piece of jewelry.

"Ms...Queen, was it? I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you. I brought this with me from Metropolis incase I had the chance to wear it. My mother almost didn't let me out of the house with it."

"So you're telling me if I called the bank manager right now and asked him to do an inventory of our vault I'd find the clip where it belongs?" before Felicity could decide whether to call her bluff or not Oliver walked up and interrupted.

"Speedy, having fun?" his tone in no way belying the tension he shared with Felicity.

"Ollie, look! This woman is a thief!" she hissed quietly, but not quiet enough to avoid the stares of the people around them.

"Thea!" Oliver said reproachfully, "What are you talking about?"

"The piece in her hair. That is a Queen family heirloom. It belonged to great-grandmother Queen!" Thea was certain she was correct and she wasn't going to back down.

Oliver pretended to squint at the hair clip before turning back to his sister. "Thea, I'm pretty sure that clip had an emerald in it, didn't it. I thought mom got it reset ages ago. Come on, I saw the Demarco's and they were asking about your college choices." Oliver had already started to lead her away, "Sorry for the confusion." he called over his shoulder to Felicity, who could see Thea continue to argue with her brother as they left.

"That was close." Digg said and she couldn't have agreed more.

Before she could get her bearings she felt an arm wrap around her waist from behind and pull her in close. "Hello beautiful, miss me?" Mason whispered into her ear.

She forced herself to lean back, unable to stop herself from comparing him to Oliver. "Of course I missed you, silly." she giggled, tipping back the last bit of her champagne, "Maybe I shouldn't have had that third glass." she lied and hated the way Mason's eyes lit up at this knowledge.

His nose nuzzled her neck, "Well, I was thinking you could come back to my place tonight. We haven't had a lot of time to be alone." his implication was all too clear.

Felicity waited for the expected explosion in her ear, but there was nothing but silence. She didn't know if that was better or worse.

"I think that sounds perfect." she purred, trailing her nails over his wrists where they crossed her middle.

"Give me fifteen minutes to say goodbye and then we're out of here." his teeth nipped her ear and she gave a startled gasp which only made Mason laugh.

She didn't realize she was nervously wringing her hands until she heard Oliver's voice in her ear. "You're doing fine. Just a little bit longer and we'll have what we need. Maybe I'll even take you out for the fro-yo you were talking about."

She almost let out a stifled laugh. She appreciated what he was trying to do, but it didn't do much to stop the butterflies in her stomach.

Fifteen minutes passed in a flash and then Mason was guiding her out the door, his hand heavy on her hip.

As they waited for the car she saw Oliver and Thea exiting the building to leave as well. Mason's driver held the door open for her and just before she got in she looked up. Oliver's eyes were locked on hers. Everything they communicated in that moment would have taken hours to say aloud.

"I've got you." Oliver said so quietly she almost didn't catch it, and for a second she felt safe. Then Mason climbed in next to her.

He was on her almost from the moment they pulled away from the curb. She found herself practically on her back as his weight pressed her down. Panic flared in her. But he expected her to be into it. She forced herself to make appreciative noises, all the time trying to avoid his more bold moves.

After he'd palmed her breast through her dress, she pushed back forcefully. A look of anger crossed his face, and she smiled broadly. "Charlie, slow down. Don't you want to save some of the fun for later." she straightened her dress and fixed her hair.

Mason considered her for a moment. "Playing hard to get are we? Alright, how about we have a drink when we get back, maybe play some music?" his hands had begun trailing over her bare shoulder again.

She cuddled under his arm and played with his bow tie. "That sounds perfect." she said throatily.

Mason resigned himself to just kissing her the remainder of the drive. She redirected him as often as possible to her neck, or shoulder. The man's mouth on hers made her stomach turn.

When they arrived at his house, Felicity pretended not to pay attention while he typed in an eight digit pass code with retinal key access. Top of the line, she thought.

The design scheme was overly modern. Minimal furniture, lots of lines. He led her into a large sunken living room.

"I'd love a drink." she said coyly, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth while she continued to play with his tie.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." He kissed her hard one last time before he turned away. The bar was in another room and she took the opportunity to open her purse and take out the tiny pill that would knock him out in seconds.

"You're doing good, Felicity. I know this is hard, but you're almost done." Oliver said, nothing but supportive, and it was exactly what she needed to calm her shaking hands.

Mason returned quickly. He handed her a glass and she laughed as she clinked her drink with his. "To new friends." he toasted, taking a sip.

She took one as well, the cool liquid refreshing to her parched throat. "What about that music? The stuff they were playing at the gala was so old." she said with an eye roll.

"I did promise you music, didn't I?" she watched him carefully, her heart thudding loudly in her chest until he sat his glass down and moved to a shelf that held a state of the art sound system.

As soon as his back was turned she dropped the pill in his drink, watching as it immediately dissolved in the amber liquid.

She couldn't even focus on the music, blood was rushing to her head as she waited in anticipation for him to take a drink and pass out.

But when he came back he held his hand out in invitation for her to dance. She blinked rapidly and joined him, hoping he couldn't detect how nervous she felt.

Dancing with Mason mostly involved his hand on her ass, as he tried to see how far he could stick his tongue down her throat. When he started to lower the zipper on the back of her dress she pulled back. "Charlie!" she said in mock surprise.

"Oh, come on sweetheart, you gotta give me a little peek." he said, pulling her in closer. She could feel his arousal pressed against her thigh and bile rose in her throat.

"How about you tell me where the little girls room is, and I'll go freshen up while you enjoy your drink." she batted her eyes and gave him a pout.

"Okay, but don't take too long." he warned and smacked her ass as she passed him.

She let out a squeal of surprise and laughed all the way down the hallway he'd pointed out when in reality she wanted to kick him straight in the balls.

She found the powder room easily enough. As soon as she shut the door she sat on the closed lid of the toilet, shaking.

"Are you alone?" Oliver asked

"Yeah," she whispered,

There was a pause, "You doing okay?"

"Not really, but I think it's almost over." she said honestly

"Give him a minute and then try and see if he's passed out or not."

She nodded before she remembered he couldn't see her. "Ok,"

She didn't dare look in the mirror, she knew she'd have hickeys on her neck and she didn't want to see them.

When she opened the door all she could hear were the faint strains of music. She slid her shoes off and tiptoed down the hall. Holding her breath she peeked around the corner and saw Mason sprawled on the couch, the glass of scotch half spilled on the floor.

Quick as she could she raced back down the hall, passing three doors until she came to the one she knew held his office.

"I'm in! Mason's out." she told Oliver breathlessly and heard his relieved sigh.

"Good job. Now, get the download started and then make your way to the front gate. Tell the guard there Mason drank too much and passed out and you've already called a car to pick you up. Digg will be waiting."

Relief flowed over her. She'd done it. "You promised me fro-yo." she reminded him as she sat behind Mason's desk and let her fingers fly.

Oliver laughed, "I did. I'll hold up my end of the bargain."

"Deal." she answered, "Plugging the external hard drive in now, and...download has started. Looks like it'll only take a few minutes."

Just as she said that she heard a sound in the hallway and she jumped to her feet.

Oliver must have heard her breath hitch, "Felicity, what is it?"

"I don't know." she whispered, turning the monitor off so it wouldn't be obvious she'd been near the computer. She made her way back to the other side of the room and stood in front of the fireplace, studying an antique clock when Mason pushed in.

"Oh, Charlie! You scared me!" she said, hand over her heart, the look on his face frightened her.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked darkly

She gave a self deprecating smile, "Silly me, went the wrong direction when I came out of the bathroom. And then I saw this clock. Uncle Bob has one just like it and I love..." she was cut off when his hand clamped around her wrist and roughly pulled her towards him.

"Don't lie to me." he reached up and grabbed her face, holding her jaw hard. "I know who you are."

Her heart was in her throat as he growled into her ear. "You're a corporate spy. Hired by the Queens to bring back intelligence on my clients."

"N..No...Charlie, I'm not." she stuttered out. Pretending to be scared wasn't necessary.

"Don't lie!" he roared. "Robert Anderson was an only child and so was his wife. There is no Megan Anderson from Metropolis. You thought you could play me. And then, tonight, you thought you could trick me and drug my drink. Let me tell you something sweetheart. You can't use a man's own weapon against him."

All she saw was the glint of light off a needle and then a quick prick in her arm as he thrust it into her.

"No!" she gasped, trying to get out of his grasp any way she could. He pinned her arms behind her and forced her to the floor.

"Felicity! Hold on, Oliver's on his way!" Digg told her, but she didn't know if it would be in time or not.

"Tonight is going to end the way it was always supposed to end. Too bad you won't be awake to enjoy it." He pressed her into the carpet, her arms trapped beneath her. When she got a leg free and managed to kick him hard he got angry and slapped her.

Pure rage crossed his face. His hands wrapped around her throat and he began to squeeze. Whatever drug he'd injected her with was already starting to course through her making her limbs feel weak. She struggled against him, trying to gasp one more breath of air, but he was too strong.

Black spots started to dance in front of her eyes and tears ran unchecked down her face. She somehow got one arm out and limply tried to bring it up to fight him off, but she had no more strength. Just before her world darkened Mason cried out in pain and slumped over, his hands slipping from her neck.

"Felicity!" Oliver yelled but she couldn't respond. His face wavered above her, the hood obscuring almost everything. She could feel his hands on her throat, her arms, one hand sliding around her waist to lift her from the floor.

He reached out of her line of sight and then she saw him holding the syringe. "Did he inject you?" he asked, sounding as if he was standing far away. Too far for her to reach.

She managed to move her head once and then her eyes were falling shut.

"Felicity! Wake up! Fight!" he demanded, his voice breaking. It sounded familiar. Why did it sound so familiar?

She needed to tell him something. She couldn't remember though. The fight was gone. The last thing she recalled was Oliver picking her up in his arms and the feel of his leather jacket beneath her cheek.

Bright sunlight woke her. She peeked open one eye and saw a room she didn't recognize. Her body was sore, and when she swallowed her throat felt like it was on fire. She lifted a tentative hand and could feel the swelling, wincing when she touched the bruised skin.

Trying to suppress a groan she turned her head slightly and saw Oliver. He sat to her right, elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed.

He looked like hell.

She wanted to say something quirky, or clever, but all that came out was "Owwwww," when she tried to push herself up onto the pillows.

Oliver jumped to his feet, leaning over her on the bed, "Felicity, how do you feel? Don't move if it hurts." Dark shadow made his eyes seem pale and there was a crease between his brow she wished she could wipe away.

"It's mostly my neck," her voice sounded gravely and disused, "The rest of me just feels like I got run over by a train, that's all."

Slowly, Oliver sat back in the chair, pulling it closer to the bedside as he did. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew the walls were going up. Knew he was starting to shut down because he thought it would be for the best.

Her hand reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, "Don't," she said quietly, "Please don't do what you always do. I won't..." tears pricked her eyes, "I won't do something like this again...I don't want to."

Her hand was engulfed in his as he leaned forward and gathered her to him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I should have..." she broke off on a choked sob. Oliver's hand soothed over her hair, shushing her as she cried.

"This wasn't your fault." he said as she calmed some. "Missions go bad. Sometimes we have days like this."

She pulled back and looked at him in shock, he hadn't blamed himself. He hadn't yelled, and railed against the world about how she was never going to step foot outside the lair again.

"I take it you weren't expecting that response." he said glibly

"No, not exactly." she admitted, wiping her wet face with her palm. "Oliver..."

"You're part of my team. I trust you. I trusted you long before I knew how invaluable you would become to me. You're smart, and capable, and sometimes things just go wrong." she was stunned speechless.

"But you're right, you won't be doing that again." he continued, and she could hear the steel in his voice.

"No, I think we've learned that some things should be left to the professionals." she said with a dark laugh, looking down to trace the pattern in the duvet.

"I think we've learned that I can't handle seeing another man's hands on you." her eyes flew to his, stunned.

"Oliver," she breathed out. His hand came up to brush a fall of hair from her face, and remained to coast over her cheek.

"Felicity, somewhere, in all of this I realized...I realized you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I would be an idiot to do anything that would jeopardize that."

Her fingers encircled his wrist, brushing over his pulse point as she leaned in to his touch. "That sounds suspiciously like something Digg would say."

His head lowered in acknowledgement, "Doesn't make it any less true."

"Touche," she replied, biting her lip as she stared at him, not fully comprehending what he was telling her.

Her hand traveled up his arm, across his jaw, and over to the line in his forehead she'd noticed when she'd woken up. His eyes fell shut as she stroked the furrow softly, watching as the tension gradually released.

"That's better," she whispered. Her hand began to fall away but he captured it before it could, bringing it closer to him so he could ghost his lips across her wrist.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the look in his eyes. This was the real Oliver, open and true. She shivered as he did it again, watching as his gaze darkened.

He tugged her arm and she closed the distance between them, looping her arms around his neck.

He slid from the chair to the side of the bed, his hands circling her waist, and then they were flush against each other.

"Oliver," she said breathlessly, her mind spinning as to how this could be possible.

"Stop thinking." he said quietly, as he leaned in even closer.

"I'll try, but this is...I never expected this. You never gave me any indication that anything I felt could be more than just an unrequited crush." she wanted to believe it, more than anything she wanted to believe it.

"I know. And I'm sorry if you doubt me, you have every reason to. But, you need to know that I know now that you're what I've been looking for. You're what I need. Always."

She didn't give him a chance to continue. Felicity slanted her mouth over his; a second later he responded. One of her hands slid through his hair, the other fisted in his shirt as he hauled her into his lap. When she felt his hand slip under her shirt she moaned at the contact, sucking his bottom lip between her teeth as punishment.

Oliver growled in response, his lips and tongue finding her jaw, and skipping to her collarbone, purposefully avoiding her neck. He rose up on one knee, controlling her hips as she slid backwards, her breath leaving her in a gasp as she ran into the headboard.

Just as she was about to slide her hand beneath his pullover there was a loud knocking sound that had Oliver leaping to his feet, assuming a defensive pose.

The threat was Thea Queen. She stood in her brother's doorway, arms crossed with an extremely smug expression on her face.

"Just 'friends', Ollie?" she said, using air quotes. "You really thought I bought that line last night that you felt sorry for her and was worried that creep was going to follow her home?"

Thea crossed the expanse of hardwood and carpet between them and sat herself down in chair Oliver had vacated.

Suddenly feeling awkward Felicity smoothed down her hair and sat up as straight as she could.

"Speedy..." Oliver began but she held up a hand to silence him.

"Don't. Now, I don't know why she was involved with that sleezeball, or why you were pretending like you didn't know her when it was totally obvious you did." both Oliver and Felicity dropped their heads at this statement, "Your explanation last night was lame, and quite frankly insulting if you thought I was going to believe it."

"How...how was it obvious that we knew each other?" Felicity couldn't stay quiet,

The look Thea gave her was withering, "Seriously?" she asked, arching one eyebrow. First, there was the crazy amount of eye sex you two were having. Don't deny it." she ordered at their reaction, "And then, when you were leaving. You have no idea how you looked at him, or how he looked at you, do you?" at their blank faces she sighed heavily, "Well, I don't know how you got to where you're sucking face finally, but trust me, there was some serious 'talking without talking' going on, and it was all very intense. There was no doubt you knew each other, I just didn't know how."

Oliver once again tried to speak but Thea cut him off. "Hold on dear brother, you'll get your say. Now, more than anything, what I have to know is why she was wearing great-grandma Queen's hair clip, because I damn well know that's what it is."

While she'd been talking she had leaned over and taken the clip from where it lay on the bedside table.

There was a long pause while Thea looked at her brother expectantly, "May I speak now?"

Thea waved her hand and Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her. "I didn't exactly tell you the entire truth last night because I was worried about Felicity. She works for me on the side at the club. I found out that Mason was trying to infiltrate Queen Consolidated and use bogus information to sink us to our investors. I asked Felicity if she could help me out by getting that information from Mason. So she pretended to go on a date with him. But...it was too much of a risk. He almost killed her last night when he caught her trying to hack his computer. Luckily the Hood was on to him as well for doing something similar and was there to save her. She has me listed as her emergency contact which is why I brought her back here." Oliver said all this so calmly it almost sounded like the truth to Felicity.

Thea nodded along as he spoke and gave him a long look when he was finished. "That still doesn't explain the clip." she said thoughtfully.

"I...care for Felicity. I wasn't ready to take it public. The clip was something I chose because I wanted her to have it." Felicity reached a hand out and tangled her fingers with his.

Thea's look had softened and she glanced back down at the piece in her hands. Just as she was about to give it back she pulled it in closer and gave it another look.

"Oliver, since when does this hair clip have an inscription on it?" she asked, "And who on earth is OQ. As far as I know you're the only...Oh. My. God!" she screeched, rising to her feet as she looked between the clip and her brother and back to the clip again.

Oliver's jaw was set tight, as he stared at a point over Thea's shoulder.

Felicity needed a minute to catch up, at first not understanding why Thea was reacting the way she was.

When it hit her she felt like she'd slammed into a brick wall.

Oliver had added the inscription for her.

With Felicity stunned into silence, and Oliver not talking Thea decided to take her leave. "Here," she said suddenly, pushing the clip into Felicity's hands, "this belongs to you. I'm just going to...yeah, I'm gonna go now."

With new eyes Felicity read the inscription again. '_All my love, always-OQ'. _

"Is she right, Oliver? Did you just have this added?" she asked incredulously.

He scrubbed one hand over his face and then turned to face her. "Yes, I did."

"And did you have it added for me?"

"Yes, I did." he answered with no hesitation. "Now you know all my deep dark secrets."

She reached a hand out to tug on his shirt, pulling him back down next to her, "I thought I already knew the deepest." she said with a small smile.

His mouth turned up slightly, "Not by half. Telling you I was the Hood had nothing on this."

"Did you mean for me to find out?" she asked, holding up the clip

"I don't know. When I had the engraving done I wasn't even sure why I did it. It was...impulsive." he admitted

"But you don't do impulsive." she half scoffed

"Maybe I do when it matters."

It was the best answer he could have given her.


End file.
